Jerome Township officials may adopt legislation to restrict drivers from parking in the public right-of-way in the Industrial Parkway area.
During the most recent trustees meeting, the board heard from Glenn Hostetler, who said he has seen an “ongoing issue” over the past two years with companies parking trailers on public streets.
Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis said Hostetler’s is not a unique concern, as she has heard from a number of other business owners with similar complaints.
Aside from troubling nearby businesses, she said improper parking in the area could also be dangerous to children, as there are hockey, tennis and gymnastics facilities on Industrial Parkway and Corporate Boulevard.
“It’s just a danger to children,” Davis said.
Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden added that he has kept a log of complaints from residents and business owners surrounding parked vehicles on public streets.
However, he said the zoning department does not have jurisdiction over the public right-of-way, so most complaints are referred to the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Davis said she has spoken with the township’s legal counsel regarding possible solutions and discovered it is difficult to enforce because Jerome does not have a dedicated resolution restricting parking on public streets in the area.
If the trustees choose to adopt such a resolution, Davis said there are two main points they need to consider.
First, she said the legislation will need to dictate specifically where parking is prohibited.
Trustee Megan Sloat said she feels township officials should meet with members of the Industrial Parkway Association to hear their feedback as to where parked vehicles pose the biggest issue.
Sloat noted that the resolution could start with restricting parking on those streets, then the trustees could expand the area if necessary.
Trustee Barry Adler said the township will also need to explore what type of signage will be posted in the area to note the parking restrictions.
The larger the area, the more the township will have to invest in signs, Adler said. Davis agreed.
Beyond just the area targeted, Davis said the trustees also need to determine how the law will be enforced.
Based on her discussion with legal counsel, Davis said enforcement could be complaint driven or done through Public Safety Officer (PSO) patrols. She said it could also be a combination of both.
Additionally, Davis said the township could either ticket violations and impose a fine or tow vehicles. She said towing vehicles would be less of an administrative burden but the township would need to decide who it would contract with to handle the actual towing.
Sloat said she feels towing could be the better option because it is a “pretty strong deterrent” and will be less work administratively.
“The less red tape, the better, as far as enforcement,” Sloat said.
While PSOs may notice some violations while on normal patrol, Sloat said she feels confident that residents and business owners will continue to report any problems.
“I think it will be self-regulating,” she said.
Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell noted that the township does have a resolution prohibiting parking in public right-of-way but it is “very limited in scope” to strictly Jerome Grand Drive, Park Mill Drive and Weldon Road.
He said that resolution, which was approved in 2021, includes language that allows the township to issue a parking ticket and a fee of $100 “and/or” have the vehicle towed.
Davis emphasized that she had no intent to motion to pass a resolution at the time, but feels the trustees should continue to consider the points she raised before taking any action.
In other business:
– The trustees approved the appointment of Brian Pawlowski as an alternate on the Zoning Commission with a term ending Dec. 31.
– At the request of Breht Fillinger, the board voted to change his employee position from roads superintendent to road crew member.
The board also promoted Vince Graber to Fillinger’s former position.